# Dacarbazine

Source: https://onco.cc/drugs/dacarbazine/  
OnCo record `dacarbazine` (Treatment). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Dacarbazine is an older chemotherapy infusion. It was the standard treatment for advanced melanoma for decades and is the D in the ABVD regimen that cures most Hodgkin lymphoma.

## Summary

Dacarbazine was approved in 1975 for metastatic malignant melanoma and as second-line therapy with other agents for Hodgkin disease. In melanoma it produced responses in roughly one patient in ten and was the control arm in the trials that established ipilimumab, vemurafenib and dabrafenib, after which it left routine use. In Hodgkin lymphoma it remains essential as part of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) and its brentuximab vedotin variant A+AVD. It is strongly emetogenic, causes a flu-like syndrome and photosensitivity, and is hepatotoxic, with rare hepatic vein thrombosis.

## Fields

- Kind: Treatment
- Status: approved
- Last checked: 2026-09-10
- Also known as: DTIC
- Tags: nci-list; generic
- Brand: DTIC-Dome (historic)
- Modality: Alkylating agent (triazene)
- Mechanism: Hepatically activated to the methylating species MTIC, which methylates DNA at O6- and N7-guanine; the same active metabolite as temozolomide.
- Approvals: US 1975: Metastatic malignant melanoma; Hodgkin disease (second line, combination)

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacarbazine
- US label (DailyMed): https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?labeltype=all&query=dacarbazine
- NCI drug page: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/dacarbazine

## Connected records

- drugs: [Temozolomide](https://onco.cc/drugs/temozolomide/)
- cancers: [Advanced melanoma (unresectable stage III and stage IV)](https://onco.cc/cancers/advanced-melanoma/), [Advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (stage III to IV)](https://onco.cc/cancers/advanced-stage-classical-hodgkin-lymphoma/), [BRAF V600-mutant melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/braf-v600-melanoma/), [Early-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (stage I to II)](https://onco.cc/cancers/early-stage-classical-hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Hodgkin lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (nodular lymphocyte-predominant B-cell lymphoma)](https://onco.cc/cancers/nodular-lymphocyte-predominant-hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Retroperitoneal sarcoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/retroperitoneal-sarcoma/)
- technologies: [Cytotoxic chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/cytotoxic-chemotherapy/)
- trials: [A Phase II Trial of LM103 in Advanced Melanoma](https://onco.cc/trials/nct07310784/), [A Study of Brentuximab Vedotin + Adriamycin, Vinblastine, and Dacarbazine in Pediatric Participants With Advanced Stage Newly Diagnosed Hodgkin Lymphoma](https://onco.cc/trials/nct02979522/), [A Study of GC101 TIL in Advanced Melanoma](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06703398/), [AHL2011](https://onco.cc/trials/ahl2011/), [Aldoxorubicin versus investigator's choice in relapsed or refractory soft tissue sarcoma](https://onco.cc/trials/aldoxorubicin-phase-3-sts/), [Efficacy and Safety of L19TNF in Previously Treated Patients with Advanced Stage or Metastatic Soft-tissue Sarcoma](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04733183/), [EORTC/LYSA/FIL H10](https://onco.cc/trials/eortc-h10/), [EuroNet-PHL-C2](https://onco.cc/trials/euronet-phl-c2/), [GHSG HD10](https://onco.cc/trials/hd10/), [GHSG HD16](https://onco.cc/trials/hd16/), [High-Risk Neuroblastoma Study 2 of SIOP-Europa-Neuroblastoma (SIOPEN)](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04221035/), [IDE196 (Darovasertib) in Combination With Crizotinib as First-line Therapy in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05987332/), [Phase III Trial of Anlotinib, Catequentinib in Advanced Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma, Leiomyosarcoma, Synovial Sarcoma (APROMISS)](https://onco.cc/trials/nct03016819/), [RADAR](https://onco.cc/trials/radar-hodgkin/), [Safety and Efficacy of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Children and Young Adults With Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (MK-3475-667/KEYNOTE-667)](https://onco.cc/trials/nct03407144/)
- terms: [Late effects of Hodgkin lymphoma treatment, and the follow-up that answers them](https://onco.cc/terms/lymphoma-tx-hodgkin-late-effects/), [The lymphoma regimen alphabet: R-CHOP, pola-R-CHP, DA-EPOCH-R, ABVD, BEACOPP and the rest](https://onco.cc/terms/lymphoma-tx-regimen-alphabet/)
- key papers: [Early positron emission tomography response-adapted treatment in stage I and II Hodgkin lymphoma: final results of the randomized EORTC/LYSA/FIL H10 trial](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-eortc-h10-pet-adapted-early-hodgkin-jco-2017/), [Eribulin versus dacarbazine in previously treated advanced liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-eribulin-liposarcoma-schoffski-lancet-2016/), [GHSG HD10: reduced treatment intensity in early-stage favourable Hodgkin lymphoma](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-ghsg-hd10-reduced-intensity-early-hodgkin-nejm-2010/), [GHSG HD21: PET-guided BrECADD versus escalated BEACOPP in advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-ghsg-hd21-brecadd-vs-ebeacopp-advanced-hodgkin-lancet-2024/), [Long-term follow-up of nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma treated in the GHSG HD7 to HD15 trials](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-eichenauer-nlphl-ghsg-hd7-hd15-long-term-jco-2020/), [PET-adapted treatment for newly diagnosed advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (AHL2011): a randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority, phase 3 study](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-ahl2011-pet-adapted-treatment-advanced-hodgkin-lancet-oncol-2019/), [Positron emission tomography-guided treatment in early-stage favorable Hodgkin lymphoma: final results of the international, randomized phase III HD16 trial by the German Hodgkin Study Group](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-ghsg-hd16-pet-guided-early-favourable-hodgkin-jco-2019/), [RAPID: PET-directed therapy for early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-rapid-pet-directed-therapy-early-hodgkin-nejm-2015/), [RATHL: adapted treatment guided by interim PET-CT in advanced Hodgkin lymphoma](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-rathl-interim-pet-adapted-abvd-advanced-hodgkin-nejm-2016/), [Trabectedin versus dacarbazine for metastatic liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma after anthracycline failure](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-trabectedin-vs-dacarbazine-demetri-jco-2016/)
- ideas: [A radiotherapy-free cure for early Hodgkin lymphoma that actually holds](https://onco.cc/ideas/lymphoma-ev-radiotherapy-free-early-hodgkin/)
- companies: [Suzhou BlueHorse Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/suzhou-bluehorse-therapeutics/)

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